Dante's Inferno to get the Dead Space: Downfall treatment

EA Redwood's revisionist actioner, Dante's Inferno, slated for 2010, is about to receive the animated film treatment from Film Roman. Film Roman, who falls under the Starz Media umbrella, is the production house that puts The Simpsons and King of the Hill (among others) in front of millions of viewers each and every week. Every week since 1984, in the case of The Simpsons.

Another one of Film Roman's previous works, likewise in conjunction with EA, was Dead Space: Downfall, the 2D animated film serving as the bodies-getting-torn-apart prequel to Dead Space. Cryil was roundly impressed with Dead Space's sparkling presentation, while the Jeff Bennet and Bruce Boxleitner voiced film went on to garner praise from a small pocket of fans ... and apathy from everyone else. (Film Roman doesn't even mentionDead Space: Downfall on their website.)

Film Roman and EA are also dragging other talents into their nine circles of animated Hell: Dead Space: Downfall's Joe Goyette is producing, The Spectacular Spider-Man's Victor Cook is directing, and Iron Man: Armored Adventures' Brandon Auman is writing. I especially feel sympathy for Brandon Auman's daunting task, as that collective, snobbish sniff you hear is coming from inumerable literature majors needlessly taking up Dante Alighieri's banner, assuming that their sworn duty is to picture the classical writer rolling in his grave, and declaring that Virgil, Inferno's protagonist, has no right being transformed into a God of War swinging codpiece. But hey, I scraped up a degree in English Literature as well, and to those individuals finding the weather quite lovely on top of their soap box, I offer this one piece of timeless, classical advice:

Lighten up.

EA AND STARZ MEDIA GO TO HELLTOGETHER WITH
ANIMATED MOVIE BASED ON DANTE’S INFERNO

Feature to Complement EA’s Highly Anticipated Game,

Taking Players into All Nine Circles of the Epic Poem’s Depiction of Hell

Redwood City, CA and Burbank, CA – March 30, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Starz Media’s Film Roman announced today the start of production on an animated movie based on the immortal epic Dante’s Inferno™. The feature-length project will expand on the story in EA’s new, must-have game coming out for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in 2010.

Just as the poem and game take players on a stunning journey through the nine circles of Hell, the “Dante’s Inferno” animated feature will also follow Dante as he travels through limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery in search of his true love, Beatrice. Both are based on part one of Dante Alighieri’s classic poem, “The Divine Comedy,” better known as “Dante’s Inferno.”

To give added distinction among each of the nine circles, EA and Film Roman (co-producers on the “Dante’s Inferno” project) are taking the innovative step of commissioning unique visions from multiple studios with experience creating some of the top anime in the industry to tell this classic story. Film Roman’s Joe Goyette (“Dead Space™: Downfall”) is the producer on the project, Victor Cook (“The Spectacular Spider-Man,” “Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron”) is directing and Brandon Auman (“Iron Man: Armored Adventures”) is writing.

“This is like nothing else out in the marketplace right now – a visually stunning project based on one of the most powerful stories ever told,” notes Jay Fukuto, Head of Studio for Film Roman. “It could only happen with a partner with the vision and creativity of EA. They were great collaborators on ‘Dead Space: Downfall,’ and we expect another very rewarding experience with this new feature.”

“The animated feature will be a great companion piece to the game,” said Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer and Creative Director for Dante’s Inferno. “The feature will explore aspects of the poem that the game does not, and will provide more insight into the characters and the unique story adaptation that the game has established. It’s a very cool project, and we are having a blast collaborating with the talented team that Starz has assembled.”

“Dante’s Inferno” marks the second such collaboration between the leading video game company and the premier traditional animation studio. In 2008, Film Roman produced “Dead Space: Downfall,” an animated feature prequel to EA’s award-winning video game Dead Space, both of which were both worldwide successes.

Starz Media will introduce the “Dante’s Inferno” animated feature to the international television community as it continues global sales of “Dead Space: Downfall” at the MIP-TV market, March 30-April 3 in Cannes, France. Anchor Bay Entertainment will hold exclusive worldwide home entertainment distribution rights to “Dante’s Inferno,” while Starz Media’s Worldwide Distribution group will handle international television and domestic syndication sales and Starz Digital Media will be responsible for all digital distribution globally.

The Dante’s Inferno game is being developed at EA Redwood Shores. For more information about the game, please visit www.dantesinferno.com.